To examine the relationship between plasma levels of carnitine and acylcarnitines, carnitines in patients with varying degrees of renal failure, the pharmacok- inetics of carnitine in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis and chronic peritoneal dialysis after maintenance hemodialysis and chronic peritoneal dialysis and the effects of intravenous L-carnitine infusions during hemodialysis on the body's protein balance, plasma concentrations of naturally occurring potentially toxic hormones and red blood cell fragility and the clinical status in MHD.